Tecmo Bowl player ratings, attributes, & rosters

Below you will find the attributes for each player. This information is taken directly from the rom data of the game. Included is an explanation for the different types of data that determines the overall ability of each player.

Offensive player ratings:

Quarterbacks

Dan Marino has the best throwing ability in Tecmo Bowl with an arm rating of 14. Miami's playbook lacks some imagination, but with Dan's arm it gets the job done.

Elway & Montana are in the discussion as the great gun slingers of Tecmo Bowl.

Running Backs

This is where Bo Jackson ultimately made his name as the greatest video game athlete of all time. Surprisingly so, Tecmo Bowl features only 3 great tail-backs & a whole lot of "everyone else".

Bo, Payton, & Dickerson are in a class all their own.

Accel- (Acceleration) This determines how quickly a player will reach his maximum speed. For this category the lower the rating the better. Almost every offensive player in the game has a 3 rating, while defenders are usually 8 or 9, with the star defenders getting a 7. Arm- This category was created by taking the average special rating for each team's receivers. For example Miami's wide receivers both have a 14 special rating, their tight end has a 14 rating and their running back has a 14 rating. Add it together to get 56, divide by the 4 receivers, and it averages to, surprisingly, a 14 rating. This represents the average throwing speed for the quarterback. The higher the better. Marino is the highest with 14, Trudeau the lowest with 8.75. This is evident by the speed in which Marino delivers the ball to his receivers as opposed to Trudeau. Initial- (Starting Speed) This is how fast a player will run before they reach top speed. The higher the better, as players with high ratings are more able to cut and juke without slowing down. Most players have 0 or 1 in this category. The better running backs and kick returners have a 4, while the best defenders (Taylor and Lott) have a 3.

Max- (Maximum/Top Speed) This is simply the player's maximum running speed. The higher the rating the faster. Bo Jackson has the highest max rating out of the offense players with 11. The highest for a defensive player is 18, with six players tied at that mark. Power- This determines the player's ability to make "popcorn" as we like to say, with the ability to break tackles. The higher the better. Kevin Mack is the most powerful offensive player with an 88 rating. It also coincides with how quickly a defender can take down a ball carrier. Lawrence Taylor has the highest rating for a defensive player with 86. This also applies to how powerful a lineman is on either side of the ball and his ability to popcorn the man player he is facing in the trenches. Special- For offensive players this rating determines how quickly the quarterback will throw the ball to that player. All wide receivers on the same team usually have the same special rating, so the rating is determined by the quarterback.For kickers and punters this determines how far they can kick/punt the ball. The higher the better. Dean Biasucci and Kevin Butler have the best rating for kickers with 10, while Sean Landeta has the best rating for punters with a 14.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

Rice & Bavaro lead the way as the best of the best

Offensive Lineman

Often overlooked in the grand scheme of things, the really elite powerful players popcorn defenders & eliminate some diving tackle possibilities in the run game. They also play a super key role in springing the kick returner when he takes it to the house.

Defensive player ratings:Defensive Backs

Dixon & Minnifield make up the best secondary combo in Tecmo Bowl

There's only 1 Ronnie Lott in Tecmo Bowl

Linebackers

Defensive Linemen

Special teams player ratings:Kickers & Punters

Kick Returners

Gentry is easily the best kick return man in Tecmo Bowl

In order to put these player ratings to best use, click on the images below to visit our various strategy pages

5 basic strategies

These tried & true basic strategies will give you a tactical edge against your opponent

Pass defense schemes & coverages

Keeping a pass happy offense from torching your defense is critical in Tecmo Bowl. We reveal what calls to make

Run defense schemes

We show which run calls will prevent your fastest defender from getting blocked so he can wreak havoc all game long

Want the R.B.I. Baseball Player ratings???

To view the individual player ratings & our assessment for pitching staffs & batters,click the images to the right.